Moving stair-lift.



PATENTED FEB. 7, 1905.

J. M. DODGE.

MOVING STAIR LIFT.

APPLICATION FILED DBO.27,1902.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED FEB. 7, 1905.

J. M. DODGE. MOVING STAIR LIFT.

APPLIGATION FILED DEO.27,1902.

5 SHEETS-8HEBT 2.

w a 9O m PATENTBD FEB. 7, 1905.

J. M. DODGE.

MOVING STAIR LIFT.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.27,1902.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

PATENTED FEB. 7, 1905.

J. M. DODGE.

MOVING STAIR LIFT.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.27,1902.

No. 782,010. PATENTED FEB. '7, 1905. J. M. DODGE.

MOVING STAIR LIFT.

APPLICATION FILED 1330.27, 1902.

5 SHEETSSHEET 5.

il /(aims?- H J m Zq UNTTED STATES Patented February '7, 1905.

PATENT @EEicE.

JAMES M. DODGE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, .'-\SSIGNOR TO THE S"AIR LIFT COMPANY, OF CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY, A CORPO- RATION OF NE\Y JERSEY.

MOVING STAlR-LIFT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 782,010, dated February 7, 1905.

Application filed December 27,1902. Serial No. 136,815x

To 0.7] [I'll/mt it Null/007066771:

Be it known that 1, JAMES M. DODGE, acitizen ot the United States, residing in I hiladelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Im- I an endless band is flexed to form treads and risers and which is driven so as to carry passengers from one floor to another.

The main object of my invention is to red uce the strain and the power required in driving the moving portion of the stair-lift.

A further objectof my invention is to provide means whereby the carrying portion of the stair-lift will travel at a uniform speed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure I is a plan view of my improved stairlift. Fig. 2 is a view in sectional elevation showing the lower portion of the stair-lift. Fig. 3 is a View in sectional elevationshowing the upper portion of the stair-lift, the unnecessary parts in the distance being removed to avoid confusion. Fig. at is a sectional plan view of part of Fig. 3, showing the method of driving the moving portion of the stairlift. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5, Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a section on the line (5 6, Fig. 3. Fig. T is a detailed perspective view showing the construction of the carrying portion of the stair-lift. Fig. 8 is a sectional view of one of the links of the carrying portion of the stair-lift and its shaft. Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing a portion of the drivechain. Fig. 10 is an enlarged view of a part of Fig. 4; and Fig. 11 is a side view looking in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 6, showing the compensating gear.

In the drawings all unnecessarydetails have been omitted, and the hand-rail has also been omitted. This hand-rail may either be a permanent structure or may move with the carrying portion of the stair-lift, as desired.

One type of hand-rail which may be used in this invention is illustrated in a companion application tiled on the 3d day of December, 1902, Serial No. 133,836.

The endless carrying-belt, which is made up of a series of enchained links, is described and claimed in the patent granted to me on the 22d day of October, 190i, No. 685,115, and it will be understood that this carryingbelt may be modified and different forms of links may be used without departing from the essential features of my invention.

A is the endless carrying-belt made up of a series of enchained links 0, having flat or slightly-rouinled upper surfaces, as clearly shown in Figs. 3, T, and 8. These links are coupled together by transverse pivot-rods It and by shafts l3 and C. These shafts extend the full width on each side and have rollers 7) and (2, respectively, which travel on suitablyarranged rails. The links are held laterally by segmental blocks a. \Vhen the endless belt is deflected to form treads and risers, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the shafts B are at the nosings of the tread-sections, while the shafts C are at the back of the tread-sections,

beyond a given point, so that when the treads and risers are formed they are perfectly rigid in order that a person to be carried can readily step upon the tread-section without the links yielding, the same as though the step-section was a solid plate. The links are so formed, however, that they will readily pass around the head-wheel D and the base-wheel I) and travel in the curves indicated.

E is the lower platform, which extends above the base-wheel I), so that the endless belt will travel in close contact with it, and the tread-sections as they appear will be on a line with this platform, while the risers will travel up at an angle to the platform, so that the person stepping on the belt cannot mistake the riser for the tread.

E is the upper platform under which the carrying portion of the endless belt disappears, and this platform has a safety appliance a, so as to prevent any material being c; ught between the platform and the belt. The device shown is fully set forth and claimed in the patent granted to me on the 18th day of February, 1902, No. 693,789.

F is the framework of the stair-lift. This framework has brackets F at each side, and to each set of brackets is secured a beam f in the present instance, which supports the rails (Z, upon which the rollers Z) of the shafts B travel. The rollers 0 of the shafts O do not travel on rails on the carrying-run, and therefore there is only one supporting-rail for the carrying-run of the stairwaythat is, at the point where the belt is flexed to form treads and risers. On the return-run of the carrying-belt both series of wheels 5 and 0 travel on rails or guides 9, supported on blocks or beams G. In some instances the return-run of the belt may travel directly on the beams without the use of rails, as the rail is simply for the purpose of supporting the return-run of the endless belt instead of allowing it to sag, and it will be understood that the returnrail may be entirely dispensed with in some instances.

On the brackets F are rails H H, on which travel the drive-chains I I, one on each side of the conveying-belt. These chains are preferably made up of a series of enchained links, (shown clearly in Figs. 3, 4, and 9,) and secured at intervals to the side of the chain are lugs 2', Figs. 4, 9, and 10, which arearranged to engage the projecting ends I) of the shafts B. These projecting ends, as shown in Figs. 4c and 10, have a head 6 larger than the shaft and connected thereto by a tapered portion 5 and the lugs 2' have recesses 71, shaped to conform with the head of the-shaft B, so that when the shaft is engaged by the lug on the chain the chain cannot pull awaylaterally from the shaft. The rail H for the drivingrun of the chain I has aflange h, which holds the chain in line, while the rail H has a central rib h for the same purpose. The chain I passes around driving sprocket-wheels J J at the head of the stair-lift and around guidewheels J near the base, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The chain need not be as long as the carrying-belt and is preferably of such a length that it will engage the shafts B of the belt as soon as it leaves the channel cl, formed by the rail (Z and the guard-rail (Z Fig. 2.

In order to deflect the shafts O into the channel 0, Fig. 2, formed by the rail O and the base portion of the rail (Z, I provide a guard-rail O against which travels the rim 0 of the wheel 0. This guard-rail deflects the wheel from the channel (Z and into channel c, causing the carrying-belt to be flexed to form the steps and risers. The wheels 0 a travel a short distance on the rail O at the base of the stair-lift until the steps and risers are formed and the chain engages the shafts B of the stair-lift. From this point the wheels 0 are not supported.

The flexed portions of the belt are held simply by the drive-chains engaging the ends of the shafts B, as the parts are so proportioned that when two shafts B are engaged by the drive-chain the flexed portion between the shafts will form a tread and riser which will be perfectly rigid, as the stops a on each link of the belt will prevent further flexing of the belt in one direction, but when the belt passes around the head-wheel D the belt can be flexed, so that it will pass around a comparatively small head-wheel and in the return-run of the belt it is drawn out so as to return in a practically straight line, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, forming a loop at the base and coming into proper alinement with the notches of the base-wheel D.

By the construction above described I positively drive the flexible belt by means of drive'chains which engage the belt at short intervals and which are not permanently connected with the belt, so that the belt can be flexed without causing undue strain upon the driving mechanism and without increasing the necessary horse-power to drive the apparatus, as the line of drive is straight and on the return-run the belt is entirely free of the return-run of the drive-chains.

In all stair-lifts or moving stairways there is a slight uneven motion given to the carrying portion of the stair-lift due to the slack between the driving mechanism and the carrier. To overcome this, I usecompensating mechanism, as fully shown in the drawings, Figs. 6 and 11.

K is the driving-shaft of the apparatus, in the present instance mounted in suitable bearingsf on the frame F forming the headframe of the stair-lift.

K is a driving sprocket-wheel in the present instance, around which passes the drivechain from any suitable motor or power-shaft.

On each end of the shaft K are pinions it, which mesh with gear-wheels L, keyed to a sleeve L, mounted in bearings f 2 on the headframe On the inner ends of each of these sleeves L are keyed the sprocket-wheels J J for the drive-chains I I, alluded to above. By this gearing the drive-chains I I are positively driven from the power-shaft K.

Passing through the sleeves L is the headshaft D on which is mounted and secured the head-wheel D,which is grooved and notched to receive the endless carrying-belt A. This shaft D is loose in the sleeves L and has at each end a collar D keyed, in the present instance, to the shaft. The shaft has a series of keyways t, and there are two keys 8 carried by the collars, as clearly shown in Fig. 11, so that when it is wished to adjust the collars on the shaft all that is necessary is to back 05 the keys and set the collar up or drop it back a notch, as desired. The keys are held in place in the present instance by set-screws 5'. Each collar D has aseries of sockets in which may be placed bars for turning the collars for adjustment.

M M are springs which are connected to lugs 11/. on the collars D and to lugs a near the periphery of the gear-wheels L, which are driven from the driving-shaft K. I have shown in the drawings three springs on each side, but it will be understood that any number of springs may be usedwithout departing from my invention, and any type of spring may be used to make a yielding connection between the positively-driven gear-wheel L and the shaft D, and so that there is a yielding connection between the drive-chains or driving mechanism and the carrying-belt, and the springs are so arranged that they will compensate for the uneven movement which would ordinarily occur, due to the weight of the return-run of the belt and the multiplying of the slack at the joints of the links of the carrying-belt, so that the carrying-belt will be driven at a uniform speed without any perceptible jars or vibrations.

The side guards N N of the stair-lift are supported by brackets projecting from the frames F F, and have guard-plates 11 a, which overlap plates (0 on each side of the carrying-belt. At the upper end of the stairway, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6, are guards N, which are V-shaped in cross-section and are tapered from the upper platform E to a point some distance below, and these guards are for the purpose of moving any material away from the edges of the carrying-run at the head of the stairway, so that there will be no liability of material being caught at the corners where the carrying-belt disappears under the fixed platform.

\Vhile I have illustrated an endless driver for the stair-lift in the form of a drive-chain made up of a series of flat plate links, other types of links may be used, and instead of the chain a suitable guide-rope may be substituted through which the lugs Z may be secured.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of an endless band, guides for carrying the band and for flexing it to form treads and risers, with an endless driver arranged to engage the band at one side, substantially as described.

2. The combination of an endless carryingband, having a trezul-surface, guides therefor, means :for flexing the band to form treads and risers, and two endless drivers one engaging the band at one side and the other engaging the band at the opposite side, beyond he tread-surface, substantially as described.

3. The combination of an endless carrying band, guides therefor, means for flexing the band to form treads and risers on the carrying-run, and an endless driver engaging the band at the nosings of the treads on the carrying-run, substantially as described.

4. The combination of an endless carryingband, guides therefor, means for flexing the band to form treads and risers on the carrying-run, and an endless drive-chain engaging the band at the nosings of the treads on the carrying-run, substantially as described.

5. The combination of an endless carryingband, means for flexing the band on the carrying-run to form treads and risers, transverse shafts cari ving guide-rolls, said shafts being at the nosings of the formed treads, and extensions on the shafts, with endless drive-chains on each side engaging the extensions of the shafts, substantially as described.

6. The combination of an endless carryingband made up of a series of enchained sections, stops on each section whereby the band is limited in flexing in one direction but free to be flexed in the opposite direction, guides for the band, means for flexing the band to form steps and risers, and a driver engaging the band at intervals on the carrying-run, so as to hold the band in its flexed condition while on the carrying-run, substantially as described.

7. The combination in a moving stair-lift, of a flexible endless carrying-band with two series of shafts, one series alternating with the other, one series of shafts being at the nosings of the steps on the carrying-run and the other series being at the inner edge of the steps on the carrying-run, with an endless drive-chain engaging the series of shafts at the nosings of the steps while on the carryingrun, substantially as described.

8. The combination in a movingstair-lift, of rails,a flexible endless carrying-band arranged to travel on said rails, a head and a base wheel around which the band passes,an endless driver on each side of the band. said driver having lugs engaging the band at intervals, and sprocket-w heels around which the band passes, substantially as described.

9. The combination of an endless flexible band made up of a series of enchained links, transverse shafts thereon, wheels carried by the said shafts, a guide-rail for the carryingrun of the band on which alternate wheels travel, with endless drive-chains on each side of the belt engaging the alternate shafts, substantially as described.

10. The combination in a moving stair-lift, of an endless flexible band made up of a series of enchained links, transverse shafts on the band, wheels on the shafts, the alternate shafts being longer than the other shafts and having heads, with an endless driver at each side of the band engaging the heads of the said alternate shafts, a guidc-rail for guiding the shafts in engagement with the driver on the carrying-run, and guide-rolls for both shafts on the return-run, substantially as described.

11. The combination in a stair-lift, of an endless flexible band, guide-rails for the band, head and base wheels around which the band travels, a driver at each side of the band engaging the band only on the carrying-run, with rails forming two channels at the base of the stair-lift, and a guard for deflecting the alternate shafts to flex the band to form treads and risers, substantially as described.

12. The combination in a stair-lift,'of an endless flexible band, head and base wheels around which the band travels, two sets of transverse shafts carrying wheels, one set alternating with the other set, drive-chains at each side engaging with one of said sets of shafts on the carrying-run, guides for flexing the band to form treads and risers, a rail upon which the band travels on the carrying-run, sprocket-wheels for the drive-chains, and a power-shaft at the head of the stair-lift on which the sprocket-wheels are mounted, substantially as described.

13. The combination of an endless carryingband, a drive-chain therefor, a power-shaft geared directly to the drive-chain and indirectly through a spring to the carrying-band, substantially as described.

14:. The combination in a stair-lift, of an endless flexible carrying-band, a head-wheel around which the band travels, guides for the band, a drive-chain engaging the band, a sprocket-wheel for imparting motion to the drive-chain, and a power-shaft positively geared to the sprocket-wheel of the drivechain but yieldingly geared to the head-wheel of the carrying-band, substantially as described.

15. The combination of an endless carryingband, ashaft, ahead-wheel on the shaft around which the carrying-band passes, a sleeve on the shaft, a sprocket-wheel on the sleeve, an endless drive-chain arranged to pass around the sprocket-wheel and to engage the carrying band, a wheel on the sleeve, means for positively driving the wheel, and one or more springs connecting the gear-wheel with the shaft, substantially as described.

16. The combination of an endless flexible carrying-band, means for flexing the band to form treads and risers on the carrying-run, endless drive-chains on each side of the band engaging said band on the carrying-run, a shaft, a head-wheel on the shaft around which the band passes, sleeves loose on the shaft, sprocket-wheels on the sleeves around which the drive-chains pass. gear-wheels on the sleeves, a driving-shaft having pinions engaging the gear-wheels, a collar on each end of the shaft, and springs between each collar and each gear-wheel, substantially as described.

17. The combination of an endless carryingband, means for flexing the band to form treads and risers, a head-wheel around which the band passes, a shaft on which the head-wheel is mounted, a drive-chain engaging the endless band on the carrying-run, a sprocket-wheel around which the drive-chain passes, a sleeve on the shaft on which the sprocket-wheel is mounted, a power-driven wheel on the sleeve, a collar adjustable on the shaft, and means for holding the collar to the shaft after adjustment, with one or more springs connected to the collar and to the wheel, substantially as described.

18. The combination of an endless carryingband, means for flexing the band to form treads and risers, a head-wheel around which the band passes, a shaft for the head-wheel, sleeves on the shaft, a sprocket-wheel on each sleeve, an endless drive-chain passing around the sprocket-wheel and engaging the carryingband on the carrying-run, a wheel secured to each sleeve, a collar secured to each end of the shaft, with three coiled springs, each spring being attached to the Wheel near its periphery and to the collar, substantially as described.

19. The combination in a stair-lift, of an endless carrying-band, means for flexing the band to form treads and risers, two series of transverse shafts, one series alternating with the other and one series being at the nosings of the steps and the other at the inner edge thereof, the shafts at the nosings of the treads being extended and having heads at their ends,

drive-chains at each side of the carrying-band,

for flexing the band to form treads and risers, I

and a rail supported by the framework for guiding the wheels of both shafts on the return-run, substantially as described.

21. The combination in a stair-lift, of the supporting-frame, brackets on said frame, a

the wheels of one shaft arranged to travel on the rails of the carrying-run, the wheels of the other shaft being free of the rails, means for flexing the band to form treads and risers, and a rail supported by the framework for guiding the Wheels of both shafts on the return-run, with drive-chains at each side of the carrying-band, rails supported by the brackets upon which the drive-chains travel, said drive-chains engaging the alternate shafts of the carrying-band, with means for imparting motion to the drive-chains, substantially as described.

22. The combination in astair-lift, ofaflexible endless carrying-band, a drive-chain engaging the said carrying-band on its carryingrun, transverse shafts on the carrying-band, one set of shafts being at the nosings of the treads formed by flexing the band, the alternate shafts being at the inner edge of the tread-sections,wheels on each shaft, the wheels of one set of shafts being out of line with the wheels of the other set, and one set of wheels having flanges. guide-rails forming channels, one for one set of wheels and the other for the other set of wheels, and a guard in the path of the flanges of one set of wheels so as to direct said wheels into their proper channel, substantially as described.

23. The combination in a stair-lift, of an endless flexible carrying-band arranged to be flexed to form treads and risers, a base-platform, a base'wheel at the base-platform around which the endless band passes, transverse shafts carried by the band, one set of shafts alternating with the other set, rails forming channels at the base of the stair-lift, and a guard for deflecting the alternate shafts so that the steps and risers will be formed, substantially as described.

24. The combination of an endless flexible band, means for flexing the band to form treads and risers on the carrying-run, transverse shafts on the band, each shaft having wheels at each side, the wheels of each alternate shaft extending beyond the wheels of the other shafts, rails forming channels, means for directing the wheels of alternate shafts in one channel and those of the other in another channel to form the treads and risers, a basewheel notched to receive the transverse shafts, and means for imparting motion to the endless earrying-band, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' JAB [ES M. DODGE.

\Vitnesses:

ILL A. BARR, Jos. H. KLEIN. 

